Master’s in Mass Communication: Admission Checklist

The School of Journalism and Mass Communication takes a holistic approach to reviewing graduate applications. All the documents submitted are carefully considered to evaluate the applicant’s academic qualifications as well as skills and experience if any, that would indicate the ability of the applicant to successfully complete the graduate program. We recognize that students may have a diverse strengths and skill sets. Our holistic approach ensures that no single factor may be grounds for rejection of an application, including the GRE scores.

Each applicant must submit the following documents directly to the Graduate College

Application / Complete the online Graduate College application through ApplyTexas.
Application Fee / Submit the application fee.
Transcript / Submit one official transcript from each college or university attended. GPA
of 3.0 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 credit hours of work leading to the
bachelor’s degree is preferred.
GRE Scores / Submit official results of the verbal/quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination. A score of 153 or higher on the verbal section and a score of 150
on the quantitative section are preferred. A level of 4.5 on the analytical writing
section is preferred.
Statement of
Purpose / A 500-word statement of purpose for pursuing graduate studies in
mass communication at Texas State University-San Marcos.
The statement should include the applicant’s academic and professional goals.
Letters of Recommendation / Two letters of recommendation from individuals competent to assess the
applicant’s capacity to pursue graduate education in mass communication.
In case the applicant is changing the major area, at least one of the two letters
must be from a professor in the student’s previous major. If the applicant is
transferring from another institution, at least one of the two letters must be
from a professor in the student’s previous institution.
Resume / A current resume with information on educational background, work experience,
and extracurricular activities.
TOEFL Scores
(International
Students Only) / International students have to submit TOEFL scores in addition to the above
documents. A preferred score of 100 on the internet based TOEFL
(with preferred section scores of 26/reading, 26/listening, 26/speaking,
and 23/writing), or 6.5 IELTS overall band score for international students.

Admission Policy: Students who do not have preferred GPA or GRE scores may be admitted conditionally and must fulfill specific GPA and/or course requirements. Those who do not have acceptable TOEFL/IELTS scores may take only leveling courses until a satisfactory score is achieved.Students who do not have a journalism or mass communication major in their undergraduate studies may be required to complete nine to 12 hours of leveling courses as recommended by the graduate advisor and make a grade of “B” or better in these courses.